New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Kioma’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Kioma’, characterized by its rounded, upright and compact plant habit; freely branching growth habit; bushy appearance; variegated foliage; freely flowering habit with flowers held above and beyond the foliage; and red purple-colored flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Kioma.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Kioma.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program Inventor inGensingen, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to developnew Impatiens cultivars with interesting and unique flower and foliagecolors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in October, 1998 of the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Lucine,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,831, as the female, or seed parent,with a proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection identified as 97-087, notpatented, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivar Kioma wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment inGensingen, Germany in March, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atGensingen, Germany, since May, 1999, has shown that the unique featuresof this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Kioma’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Kioma’ as a new and distinct Impatienscultivar:

1. Rounded, upright and compact plant habit.

2. Freely branching growth habit; bushy appearance.

3. Variegated foliage.

4. Freely flowering habit with flowers held above and beyond thefoliage.

5. Red purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens are most similar to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Lucine. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inGensingen, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants ofthe cultivar Lucine in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more compact than plant of thecultivar Lucine.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens were more freely branching than plants ofthe cultivar Lucine.

3. Plants of the new Impatiens were more freely flowering than plants ofthe cultivar Lucine.

4. Leaves of plants of the new Impatiens were more strongly variegatedthan leaves of plants of the cultivar Lucine.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of the male parent, theselection 97-087, primarily in flower color as flower color of plants ofthe new Impatiens does not fade whereas the flower color of plants ofthe selection 97-087 fades with subsequent development.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Impatiens. The photograph comprises a side perspectiveview of three typical flowering plants of ‘Kioma’ grown in a 22-cmcontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Kioma has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementionedphotograph and the following observations and measurements describeplants grown in Encinitas, Calif., during the late spring, undercommercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with daytemperatures about 24° C., night temperatures about 18° C., and lightlevels typically about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants used in the photographand following description were about 14 weeks old and grown in 22-cmcontainers with three plants per container.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Kioma.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Lucine, disclosed inU.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,831.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selectionidentified as 97-087, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 14 days at 23° C. Winter: About 17days at 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner.—Summer: About 21 days at 23°C. Winter: About 24 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Rounded and somewhat upright; compact. Appropriatefor 10 to 25-cm containers; multiple plants are typically planted inlarger containers.

Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching with about nine lateralbranches developing at the base, dense and bushy growth. Pinching, thatis, removal of the terminal apices, is typically not required.Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 16 cm.

Plant diameter, single plant.—About 18.5 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 10.5 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Internodelength: About 3.8 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 185B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite or in whorls; simple. Length:About 10.75 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base:Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture, upper and lowersurfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: Towardsmargin, 146A; towards center, 144C. Young foliage, lower surface: 146C.Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Towards margin, 147A; towardscenter, 150B; center, 18C. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:Towards margin, 147B; towards center, 18C. Venation, upper surface: 50B.Venation, lower surface: 50A to 50B. Petiole: Length: About 4.5 cm.Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 60C.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single axillary flowers. Freelyflowering, usually about six flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.Flowers typically face upward or outward and held above and beyond thefoliage. Flowers somewhat cupped and rounded triangular in shape.Flowers last about eight days on the plant depending on temperature andweather conditions. Petals self-cleaning; gynoecium persistent. Flowersnot fragrant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden,flowering from spring until fall.

Flower height.—About 5.5 cm.

Flower width.—About 4.5 cm.

Flower depth.—About 3 cm.

Flower buds (at stage of showing color).—Rate of opening: From showingcolor to fully open flower, typically about 2 to 3 days depending ontemperature. Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 68A.

Petals.—Quantity: Single, five per flower. Length: Banner petal: About 2cm. Lateral petals: About 2.2 cm. Base petals: About 2.5 cm. Width:Banner petal: About 3 cm. Lateral petals: About 1.8 cm. Base petals:About 2.5 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Acute. Margin:Entire. Texture: Smooth; velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface:57B. When opening, lower surface: 57D. Fully opened, upper surface: 57C;towards base, 47A. Fully opened, lower surface: 57D.

Spur.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 60A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong.Angle: About 45° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 46A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused at anthers,filaments free. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther size: About 3 mm by 4 mm.Anther color: 63C. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 158B.Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma color: 157A. Style color:145A. Ovary color: 145A.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been observed totolerate temperatures from 16 to 30° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named ‘Kioma’, as illustrated and described.